Newsletter No. 10 - Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage ...

THE OLD COMMUNITY HALL - THEHEART OF THE LAWSON TOWNSHIPAlthough the place that was tobecome the modern Lawson hadappeared under its first name ofChristmas Swamp on John Oxley’s1817 survey, it was not until 1867and the arrival of a single-trackrailway line that the township had itsreal beginnings.Up to this time its major functionhad been to serve the needs of thesteadily increasing movement ofpeople and trade both ways acrossthe mountains. The Blue MountainInn and an official stock resting area(now Douglass Square) togetherwith a good water supply had madeBlue Mountain as it came to beknown a major stopping place.by Nance Cooper, Mid Mountains Historical Society Inc.After 1867 a settled communitybegan to appear. The name Lawsonappeared in 1879 as part of agovernment clean-up of placenames.The Blue Mountain Inn was movedfrom its original site on what is nowthe public school playground finallyending up where the BlueMountains Hotel now stands and aflourishing small shopping centregrew up to serve the needs of boththe permanent residents and theincreasing numbers of holidaymakers.By World War I, Lawson was one ofthe major holiday resorts of the BlueMountains. By the end of the 19 thcentury when the story of Lawson’sOld Community Hall begins manyforces were having an impact evenon a quiet mountain township.The development of the MechanicsInstitute movement as a social andeducational force was under waythroughout NSW and within theLawson community new needs werebeing felt.The result was at first a smallventure called the Lawson Literaryand Debating Society that was setup in 1896 with eight members andno money.It met in what had been the secondBlue Mountain Inn (on the presentschool playground).A small library encouraged moremembers, so a move was madeacross the railway line to the CoffeePalace (later Stratford School ofwhich only the tower still remains) inSan Jose Avenue.The purchase of a small billiardtable against much oppositionencouraged younger members so apermanent home was sought by theProgress Association.In 1899 the state government cameinto the picture and set aside Lot 17Section 1 of the Village of Lawsonfor a mechanics institute and thesociety with library and billiard tablemoved back across the railway lineto a home in a temporary woodenbuilding.A more substantial masonrybuilding was erected on the site in1903 at the cost of £400 paid for bycommunity subscription.About 40,000 bricks from the oldLawson railway station were usedas well as some from Mount Victoriastation, all becoming available asthe result of the upgrading of therailway line and the need for newstations.Once again the community wasdirectly involved in providing thetransport for such a majormovement of building material.The new Lawson MechanicsInstitute building was officiallyopened in December 1903.The needs of current highwaywidening have had the effect ofrestoring the old community hall toits original appearance as createdby the Lawson community.The portico that provided a coveredfront entry to the building was not toappear until at least 30 years afterthe original building was completed.A 1905 photograph shows a set ofsteps from the footpath to thedoorway that still faces the highway.Exactly when the portico was addedis a matter of question butphotographic evidence shows thehall without portico up to the time ofWorld War II.In all probability its appearancecoincided with the use of thebuilding on a regular basis as acinema up to the advent oftelevision.The new building was put toimmediate use. By 1905 the library,now a circulating library, hadreached 1000 volumes andmembership continued to grow. Apermanent caretaker was neededand the library and billiard roomwere open all day in the holidayseason.Continued page 10HERITAGE 9July- August 2010